Dell Inspiron 3700 User manual


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


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
Throughout this guide, blocks of text may be accompanied by an icon and printed in bold type or in italic type.
These blocks are notes, notices, and cautions, and they are used as follows:
NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer system.


  !""
#
____________________
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 1999 Dell Computer Corporation. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Computer Corporation is strictly forbidden.
Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, and Inspiron are trademarks and DellWare is a service mark of Dell Computer
Corporation; Microsoft, Windows NT, and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation; 3Com is a registered trademark
of 3Com Corporation.
Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their
products. Dell Computer Corporation disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own.
September 1999 P/N 8498T Rev. A00

i
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APR I/O Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
APR Controls and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Connecting External Devices to the APR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Connecting the Computer to the APR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Docking the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Undocking the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Safety Instructions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Regulatory Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
FCC Notices (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Class A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Class B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
IC Notice (Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
CE Notice (European Union). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
EN 55022 Compliance (Czech Republic Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
VCCI Notice (Japan Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Class A ITE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Class B ITE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
MOC Notice (South Korea Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Class A Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Class B Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Polish Center for Testing and Certification Notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Wymagania Polskiego Centrum BadaÒ i Certyfikacji . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
PozostaŠe instrukcje bezpieczeÒstwa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
NOM Information (Mexico Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Información para NOM (únicamente para México) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
BSMI Notice (Taiwan Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Warranty, Return Policy, and Year 2000 Statement of Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Limited Three-Year Warranty (U.S. Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Coverage During Year One. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

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Coverage During Years Two and Three . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
General Provisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Limited Three-Year Warranty (Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Coverage During Year One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Coverage During Years Two and Three . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
General Provisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
“Total Satisfaction”Return Policy (U.S. and Canada Only). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Year 2000 Statement of Compliance for Dell-Branded Hardware Products . . . . . . . 25
Previous Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Additional Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Dell Inspiron 3700 System Advanced Port Replicator User’s Guide 1



The advanced port replicator (APR) integrates your computer quickly and easily into a
desktop environment. Use the instructions in this document to attach external devices
to the APR and to connect your computer to the APR.
NOTE: If you received a basic input/output system (BIOS) upgrade diskette with your
APR, use the diskette to upgrade the BIOS on your computer before attaching it to the
APR. For instructions, see the documentation that came with the BIOS upgrade
diskette.
$%&'
$%("
) %*

The input/output (I/O) connectors on the back and side of the APR (see Figures 1
and 2) duplicate the primary connectors on the back and side of your computer.

2 Dell Inspiron 3700 System Advanced Port Replicator User’s Guide

Table 1 shows the icons for each of the connectors on the back of the APR and indi-
cates the type of external device(s) that you can attach to each connector.


 
One or two USB devices, such as a USB mouse, connect to the
dual USB connector.
An external PS/2-style keyboard or external numeric keypad con-
nects to the PS/2 keyboard connector.
An external PS/2-compatible mouse connects to the PS/2 mouse
connector.
A serial device, such as a serial mouse or external modem, con-
nects to the serial port connector.
A network interface cable connects to the NIC connector.
A parallel device, such as a printer, connects to the parallel port
connector.
An external monitor connects to the video connector.
The AC adapter that came with the APR connects to the AC adapter
connector.
NOTE: For the full name of an abbreviation or acronym used in this table, see the Glossary in the
system Help.
keyboard
connector
serial port
connector
USB
connectors (2)
parallel port
connector
NIC connector
video
connector
mouse
connector
AC adapter
connector

Dell Inspiron 3700 System Advanced Port Replicator User’s Guide 3
The audio line-out connector is on the side of the APR as shown in Figure 2.
 !"#

The controls and indicators are shown in Figure 3.
$!!
audio line-out connector
docking
indicator
undock request button
power button
power
indicator
drive
access
indicator
eject
position
unlocked
position
locked
position
eject/locking
lever
padlock
slot security
lock slot

4 Dell Inspiron 3700 System Advanced Port Replicator User’s Guide

To attach external devices to the APR, perform the following steps:
1. Refer to Figure 1 to attach external devices to the appropriate connectors on the
back of the APR.
NOTE: If the cable connector from the external device has thumbscrews, be sure
to tighten them to ensure a proper connection.
For detailed information on using external devices with your computer, see
“Using External Devices”in the system Help.
2. Connect the external devices to an electrical outlet, if applicable.

You must attach an AC adapter to the APR before you dock and turn on the computer.
The AC adapter powers the APR and the computer at the same time. Any battery
installed in the computer charges while you use the APR.
$&'+,%
&-./
0
$0&'
Before you initially connect your computer to the APR, the operating system must
complete its setup process. To verify that the operating system has completed the
setup process, perform the following steps:
1. Be sure that the computer is not docked in the APR.
2. Turn on the computer.
3. Verify that your computer’s operating system completes the setup process.
For instructions, refer to the Setup Guide that accompanied your computer.
4. Turn off the computer.
You can now connect your computer to the APR as described in the following subsec-
tion, “Docking the Computer.”

Dell Inspiron 3700 System Advanced Port Replicator User’s Guide 5

To connect your computer to the APR, perform the following steps:
1. Verify that the operating system has completed the setup process.
For instructions, refer to the Setup Guide that accompanied your computer.
2. Save and close all open files, exit all open application programs, and shut down
the computer.
3. If you have not already done so, connect the AC adapter to the connector on the
APR (see Figure 1), and plug the AC power cable into an electrical outlet.
4. Place the computer on the APR platform, with the back of the computer facing
the APR’s docking connector, as shown in Figure 4.
5. Push the computer forward until the docking connectors are fully engaged.
%&'(

Perform the following steps to disconnect the computer from the APR:
1. Save and close all open files and exit all open application programs.
"
&'"


6 Dell Inspiron 3700 System Advanced Port Replicator User’s Guide
%&'

"%"%
%-
"
"
2. To prepare the computer for undocking, perform one of the following procedures:
Press <Fn><Esc> on the computer's keyboard (or press <Scroll
Lock><Esc> on an external keyboard).
Wait a few seconds for the power indicator on the computer to turn off.
If you are using the Microsoft®Windows®98 operating system, click the
Start button, and then click Eject PC. If you are using the Microsoft Win-
dows NT®operating system, click the docking icon and then click Undock to
place the computer in standby mode.
Wait a few seconds for the power indicator on the computer to turn off.
Press the undock request button on the APR (see Figure 5). Wait for the
green docking indicator to turn off.
3. Pull the eject/locking lever on the left side of the APR (see Figure 5) to undock the
computer.
)*!'(
eject/locking lever